Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connection for a feed line which leads to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The connection is disposed at a feed pump that pumps fuel out of a fuel tank. The connection has a connection stub with a horizontal portion. The horizontal portion projects away from the feed pump for connection of the feed line. A nonreturn valve is disposed in the connection stub.
Such connections are often used in today""s motor vehicles and are known in practice. In the case of the known connection, the nonreturn valve is mounted in a fixed manner in a housing cover of the feed pump. The connection stub has an angle with a vertical portion for form-locking connection to the housing cover. A form-locking connection is one which connects two elements together due to the shape of the elements themselves, as opposed to a force-locking connection, which locks the elements together by force external to the elements. The connection stub can be connected to the feed pump in various angular positions by virtue of that angle. The disadvantage of the known connection is that it has very large dimensions in the vertical direction. However, today""s fuel tanks have only very limited dimensions, often making it impossible to mount feed pumps with large dimensions.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a connection, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type in such a way that it allows a feed pump to be constructed in as compact a manner as possible in the vertical direction.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a connection for a feed line leading to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The connection is disposed at a feed pump pumping fuel out of a fuel tank, and the connection comprises a connection stub having a horizontal portion projecting away from the feed pump for connection of the feed line, and a nonreturn valve disposed in the horizontal portion of the connection stub.
As a result of this configuration, on one hand, the length of the feed pump can be made particularly small since it requires only a very small vertical portion, if any, for connection to the connection stub. The placement of the nonreturn valve in the horizontal portion, on the other hand, does not lead to an increase in the dimensions since this piece of the feed line projects sideways in any case. As a result, the feed pump that has the connection according to the invention has small dimensions in the vertical direction and therefore has a particularly compact construction.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the connection is particularly economical if the connection stub is connected integrally to an adjoining part of the feed pump.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the mounting of the nonreturn valve is particularly simple if at least that part of the connection stub which has the nonreturn valve is secured releasably on the remaining region of the connection stub or on the feed pump. Another advantage of this configuration is that a standardized test adapter for all feed pumps can be used before securing the connection stub. The connection stub can be configured in almost any desired manner in accordance with the connection provided to the feed line.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the operation of the feed pump together with that of the nonreturn valve can be checked through the use of a standardized test adapter if a region of the connection stub that has the coupling device for the feed line is secured releasably on the remaining region of the connection stub or on the feed pump.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the mounting of the connection stub on the feed pump is particularly simple if a device for fastening the connection stub to the adjoining part of the feed pump has a latching device.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the nonreturn valve has, for example, a ball as a valve body. In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the radial dimensions of the nonreturn valve and flow losses through the valve body can be kept particularly small if a valve body of the nonreturn valve has a projecting guide element.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the structure of the nonreturn valve is particularly simple if it has a cage with a guide for the guide element.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a connection, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.